Access to the Wilmette Harbor has been a constant theme in the two-year debate over which organization is best qualified to manage it.

Depending on who's talking, the Wilmette Harbor Association, which has managed the harbor for 75 years, is either David or Goliath — a humble organization doing its best to manage high demand for a relatively small harbor, or a private club for wealthy yacht owners with a notorious wait list.

That piece of the debate figures to linger on well after the resolution of the harbor issue, which could come Thursday when the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board of Commissioners again considers the Wilmette Harbor Association's lease bid. The decision on a lease has been tabled at the past two meetings.

"I think it's very important for everyone to get a fair shake," said Sabine Herber, executive director of the Wilmette Harbor Association.

Herber's father was on the wait list for 23 years. She was in charge of the harbor eight of those years.

"I'm a total girl scout when it comes to the list," she said.

It's the most equitable system, Herber said. Even if you don't have a boat, you can walk in the door and put your name on the wait list, she said. It cost $25 a year to be on the list. And depending on the kind of boat, your wait may be one year or 18.

Currently, there are about 165 people on the wait list, Herber said.

"Demand will always outstrip supply when you grant perpetual licenses," said Fritz Duda, a director of Wilmette Harbor Management, one of two groups to outbid the Wilmette Harbor Association.

It's unclear whether Wilmette Harbor Management still has a dog in the hunt. At the last MWRD commissioners meeting, MWRD Executive Director David St. Pierre said Wilmette Harbor Management and the other high bidder, CentrePointe Yacht Services were deemed "financially non-responsive" and that the determination would not change with deferrals.

But Duda and his colleagues still contend that the harbor needs to be expanded for greater public use — and they're not alone.

In contrast to the current wait list model, under Wilmette Harbor Management's plan, the 300 or slip holders at the harbor would have to join a public online bidding process for slips.

There would be some "premium" 10-year slips available for additional cost, as well as 5-year and annual slips, Duda said. Without a long-term capital plan, it's not yet possible to know how many slips of each type would be allocated, he said. The harbor would also have boat clubs to open more access, he said.

The lottery system would create a "built-in friction," Duda said, that would allow for more turnover and more revenue for needed repairs. It would all be done transparently, posted online for anyone to see.

The Wilmette Harbor Association's wait list is not posted online. Herber said the list has applicants' personal information that shouldn't be made public.

As for Harbor Management's lottery system, Herber maintained it would favor the wealthy and leave many boat owners high and dry.

The Wilmette Harbor is small, she said, and the recommended course for new boaters is to start small. The size of boat for the wait list is capped at 22 feet, she said, but after permit holders are in the harbor for three years, they can put their names on the change of mooring list for larger slips.

There are currently 106 people on the change of mooring list, Herber said.

Fleets of "one design" racing sailboats are the easiest way in, Herber said. Because the fleets are the same design, and act the same way in water, they can be tied to mooring cans out in the harbor.

So, many boat owners start small, with one of the one-design racing sailboats, she said, and then work their way up to a larger boat slip. Boaters can also partner up on mooring slips, giving them more access for less cost, Herber said.

That's what Marshall Moretta did. After moving to Wilmette in the 1970s, Moretta put his name on the wait list. In the meantime, he partnered with another boater who had a slip in a racing fleet at the harbor. In total, he spent about 10 years on the waiting list and another 10 years on the change of mooring list. But he was sailing the entire time. And now he has a 28-foot sailboat in the harbor.

"I can only speak from experience," Moretta said. "But it's very easy if you're willing to access through smaller boats and, in particular, racing fleets."

Of course, that's not for everyone. Howard Gopman, also of Wilmette, is a fisherman and has no interest in sailing. Gopman said he looked into getting a slip at the harbor for his 18-foot fishing boat years ago, but said he was turned off by what he felt was the exclusive nature of the association.

Gopman, an attorney, is also a member of the Arlington Anglers Fishing Club. He recently wrote a letter with 46 signatures from other fishermen in the club to the MWRD Board of Commissioners, urging them to consider the Wilmette Harbor Management plan instead.